Speaker’s Statements — Ringing of the Bell

Following discussions at the Standing Orders Committee last week—and I want to say that these discussions ended up in a unanimous decision—I wish to advise of some change I am making to the procedures for the ringing of the bell. In order that members and others within the parliamentary complex are aware that the House has risen, the bell will be rung for 10 seconds whenever the House adjourns, such as at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday or Wednesday, 6 p.m. on a Thursday, or when a sitting of the House is suspended, such as 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, and at midnight and for the lunch and dinner adjournments during urgency. This change will take effect from today.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. With regard to the comment you have just made, I see that the Standing Orders Committee might have reached a unanimous decision, but how does that impose itself upon Parliament? Surely it should be the House that ratifies such a decision.

No, that is a decision that was within the gift of the Speaker. I can do that, but I took upon myself that I got a unanimous decision from the Standing Orders Committee, as all parties are represented on that committee.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I have listened to what you said. I am not sure whether you have given the correct impression to members. You said that the bell was to be rung, for example, at 6 o’clock. In fact, one of the reasons the Standing Orders Committee wants the bell rung is the situation we had last Thursday, when most members had actually left and the House was carrying on in session—which I say was unparliamentary—but members did not know that. In that particular situation the bell will not be rung at 6 p.m., will it? It will be rung at a different time—in that case I think it was 6.15 p.m.—so MPs will know that on a Thursday they do not jump in their taxis to go to the airport, until they have heard the bell.

That is perfectly correct, and, in fact, it will ring when a sitting of the House is suspended. That means that if we have started a series of divisions at 5.45 p.m., for example, and they go on until 6.15 p.m., the bell will be rung at the end of that series of divisions, when I adjourn the House.